California builds AI security network for state agencies, local governments and infrastructure

Sacramento, California – California is preparing for a new kind of cyberattack, one in which artificial intelligence can help adversaries move faster, find weaknesses more cheaply and potentially target the systems people rely on every day.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced what his office described as a first-in-the-nation AI cyber defense initiative, directing state agencies to strengthen protection of government networks, critical infrastructure and local communities as AI capabilities continue to advance.

At the center of the effort is a new AI Cyber Defense Program within the California Cybersecurity Integration Center, or Cal-CSIC. The program will use artificial intelligence for vulnerability detection, network hardening and incident response while expanding advanced cybersecurity tools to local governments and critical infrastructure partners.

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Every state agency will also be required to designate an AI Cybersecurity Officer, creating a more coordinated approach to emerging threats across California government.

“The digital environment is rapidly evolving before our eyes. Attacks are faster, more sophisticated, and more frequent, putting at risk the basic systems families count on. California can either wait for the next crisis, or we can build the kind of defenses this moment demands. We are choosing to build,” Newsom said.

The move follows disclosures from leading AI developers showing that advanced systems can independently carry out sophisticated cyber operations in controlled testing environments. Meanwhile, malicious actors are increasingly using AI to make attacks more efficient and less expensive.

The announcement also comes as California raises concerns about reduced federal cybersecurity support. The Trump administration’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget would cut the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency by roughly $707 million, or about 30% from earlier funding levels. Federal support for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center ended in late 2025, while long-term funding for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program remains uncertain.

Newsom’s latest action builds on California’s broader AI strategy. His administration issued AI executive orders in 2023 and 2026, signed Senate Bill 53 in 2025 and recently introduced Cal-Secure 2.0.

California has also expanded Cal-CSIC, launched AI workforce and economic initiatives and created Engaged California to involve residents in AI policy discussions.

The new cyber defense program represents the next piece of that strategy: using AI not only as a technology to regulate and develop, but also as a tool to defend the state against the risks AI itself is helping create.